Decorah-area readers will be able to discuss Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 drama The Wild Duck from home when Vesterheim hosts its next Bokprat gathering online from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.
The free program is a conversation about the play, not a staged performance. Because the event will take place entirely online, participants will not need to travel to Vesterheim in Decorah. The format also opens the discussion to readers across the surrounding area and to people who cannot attend an in-person museum program.
How to join the Vesterheim discussion
Anyone planning to attend must register in advance through Vesterheim’s event page. The registration process allows participants to add the program to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live.
Registration is not necessarily the final step for accessing the meeting. Vesterheim advises participants to return to the museum’s event page shortly before the program because the Zoom access information may change. Details saved during registration may not provide the newest way to enter the discussion.
Readers joining from home should check the event page again before the 7 p.m. start time to confirm the current meeting link and any other access information.
What ‘The Wild Duck’ explores
First published in 1884, The Wild Duck follows the Ekdal family after its fragile peace is disrupted by Gregers Werle, an idealist determined to expose hidden truths. The drama examines the relationship between an idealistic son and his corrupt merchant father.
As Werle tries to rescue the people around him, his father’s duplicity comes to light. That effort ultimately harms the people Werle hopes to help and sends the family toward a deeper unraveling. Those conflicts give Bokprat participants an opportunity to discuss deception, betrayal and disillusionment in modern life.
The play combines serious and comic elements through comedy and satire. Vesterheim describes it as realistic, while literary scholars have also connected it with symbolism. The drama is regarded as the first modern masterpiece in the tragicomedy genre.
The discussion may examine the family conflict and the ways humor, satire and tragedy work together. It will remain focused on conversation about the drama rather than a performance.
Part of Vesterheim’s Scandinavian literature series
The October gathering is part of Bokprat, Vesterheim’s recurring online book group devoted to Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. The museum announced the October selection in August 2026.
Decorah-area readers interested in Scandinavian literature can register through Vesterheim’s event page and return there shortly before Oct. 28 to verify the latest Zoom information. The free online program offers another way to take part in Vesterheim programming without attending at the museum.